Automobile door handle and lock mechanism



June 21, 1938. J. SUMMERS AUTOMOBILE DOOR HANDLE AND LOCK MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 17, 1936 June 21, 1938. J. SUMMERS AUTOMOBILE DOOR HANDLE AND LOCK MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 17, 1936 7 game/MM 5 arm mama x w. W mm Patented June 21, 1938 a zrii or rzs James Summers, Atlanta, Ga.

Application December 1?, 1936, Serial No. 116,432

3 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in automobile door handle and lock mechanism.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a handle and lock mechanism for the door of an automobile of the type wherein the latch bolt for holding the door in closed position is manually operable by handles respectively arranged at the inner and outer sides of the door,

the outer handle being retractable into a recess at the outer side of the door to prevent access thereto for operation of the latch bolt, the outer handle being movable into its recess by direct pressure exerted thereon and also by the operation of devices carried by the handle at the inner side of the door and operatively engaged therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle and lock mechanism of the foregoing character for automobile doors having manually operable means associated with thehandle at the inner side of the door for moving the handle at the outer side of the door into a retracted position within its recess and further to equip the inner handle with manually controlled latch devices permitting the automatic projection of the handle at the outer side of the door into operative or gripping position in spaced relation to the outer side of the door.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the inner side of an automobile door equipped with the improved handle and lock device;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational View of the outer side of the door, showing the outer handle and key operated lock therefor;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, with the handle at the 45 outer side of the door illustrated by full lines in a retracted position and seated within a recess at the outer side of the door and projected to operative position as illustrated by dotted lines with the devices associated with the handle at the inner side of the door for controlling the position of the outer handle;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional View, partly broken away and shown in section, and taken on line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6- -6 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5 l-'l of Figure 3, and illustrating the handle operated barrel or shank and its connection with the latch bolt for the door;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 8-3 of Figure 3, showing the lug and abutment 1 connection between the handle at the inner side of the door and the shank or barrel that operates the latch bolt; and

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Figure 3.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, the reference character I0 designates the door of an automobile and as shown in Figure 1, the inner side of the door It! carries a casing H for housing the usual tensioned latch bolt l2 for engagement with a keeper on the door frame to retain the door in closed position. The latch bolt i2 is controlled in its operation by handles l3 and M respectively located at the outer and inner sides of the door ill, the handle l3 being mounted for movement toward and away from the outer side of the door In as illustrated by full and dotted line positions in Figure 3 and when in position adjacent the outer side of the door, the same is received in a recess l5 to present the handle l3 flush with the outer face of the door and inaccessible for gripping operation.

As shown in Figure 3, the edge l6 of the door I!) has a cylindrical opening I! therein to accommodate the mounting of the latch mechanism and operating handles therefor, the edge I 6 of the door adjacent the opening I! being cut-away to provide a pocket I8 while an angle plate comprising walls I9 and 2!] is secured to the edge of the door with the wall l9 engaged in the inner side of the door while the wall 20 engages the edge of the door. A guide cylinder 2| is anchored in the opening I! and the inner end thereof is engaged with a' rotatable cylindrical block 22 within the pocket [8 that has, as shown in Figure '7, a laterally projecting finger 23 extending into a side notch 24 carried by the latch bolt l2. The cylindrical block 22 as shown in Figure 3 has an annular groove therein and is journalled in the walls of an opening in the inner wall IQ of the angle plate and that portion of the block 22 outwardly of and adjacent the Wall l9 as shownin Figure 8 carries a cam abutment 25 for purposes presently to appear.

The handle I4 at the inner side of the door I0 is of tubular formation and has an angle end 26 with a bearing 21 at the end thereof with an opening therein that is journalled on an extension of the cylindrical block 22 and is retained on said extension by devices to be presently described. The handle I4 is spaced from and parallel with the inner side of the door In and is guided in its movements by the strap guide 28. A lug 29 projects from the bearing wall 21 of the angle end of the handle and is engaged with the abutment lug 25 on the cylindrical block 22 to effect rotation of the block 22 when the handle M is depressed for the operation of the latch bolt |2.

As shown in Fig. 3, the end of the outer handle |3 adjacent the opening I! in the door In carries a cylinder 3|] that is slidable and rotatable in the guide cylinder 2 the inner end of the cylinder 30 having a bottom wall 3| that forms an abutment for one end of a coil spring 32 within the inner end of the guide cylinder 2|, the other end of the spring 32 being engaged with the inner closed end 2m of the guide cylinder. A tubular shaft 32 extends through an opening in the bottom wall 3| of the cylinder 30 and has an annular flange 33 engaged with the bottom wall 2|a of the guide cylinder 2|, the tubular shaft 32 inwardly of the collar 33 being rectangular in cross-section as shown at 34 in Figure '7, and extending through a similarly formed opening in the cylindrical block 22, the inner terminal end of the tubular shaft 32 extending into the angle end 26 of the handle [4 and being externally threaded for the reception of a nut 35 for retaining the handle M on the cylindrical block 22 as will at once be understood from an inspection of Fig. 3' of the drawings. A cylinder 35 is slidably mounted within the cylinder 30 with the inner open end thereof engaged with the bottom wall 3| of the cylinder 30 while the outer end wall 31 of the cylinder 35 overlies the outer end of the tubular shaft 32. A key rib 38 extends longitudinally of the tubular shaft 32 and is engaged in a key slot 39 in the end wall 3| of the cylinder 30, the tubular shaft 32 being keyed to the cylindrical block 22 and also to the cylinder 30.

A rod 40 extends through the tubular shaft 32, the outer end 4| of the rod extending through the outer end wall 31 of the cylinder 36 and being headed as shown in Figure 3. A chain 42 has one end attached to the inner end of the rod 40 and is trained over a guide pulley 43 in the angle end 26 of the arm l4, the other end of the chain being connected to a latch and control device for the outer handle l3. As shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, the tubular inner handle I4 is diametrically slotted as at 44 intermediate the ends thereof and through which slots a crosspin 45 extends, the outer end of the cross-pin 45 being anchored to a collar 46 slidably mounted upon the tubular handle 4. A resilient catch comprising a pair of diverging legs 41 and 48 connected by a loop or barrel 49 has the barrel attached to the pin 45, the free end of the legs 41 being attached as at 49a to the adjacent end of the chain 42 while the free end 50 of the leg 48 constitutes a catch engaged by an adjustable stop 5| carried by the tubular handle M. A coil spring 52 of less strength than the spring 32 in the guide cylinder 2| has one end attached as at 53 to the cross-pin 45 and the other end attached to the cap 54 at the free end of the handle M, the spring 52 acting to maintain the chain 42 in an extended position during movements of the outer handle I3 toward and away from the door I0. When the latch 50 is in the position shown in Figure 3 and engaged with the stop 5|, the cylinder 30 carrying the outer handle i3 is in its withdrawn or retracted position with the handle |3 seated in the recess l5 against the tension of the springs 32 and 52. A releasing device is provided for the latch 50 and comprises an elongated arm 55 slidably mounted Within the tubular handle |4, one end of the arm 55 carrying a laterally projecting block 56 slidable in a slot 51 in the tubular arm as shown in Figure 4 and operated by a button 58 secured to the block 51 exteriorly of the handle |4. Enlarged recesses 59 and 60 are formed respectively at opposite ends of the slot 5'! into which the block 56 is movable for holding the arm 55 in its adjusted position. The other end 6| of the arm 55 underlies the leg 48 of the catch 5|) and when shifted to the dotted line position shown in Figure 3 is adapted to release the catch 53 from its stop 5| and permits automatic projection of the outer handle |3 to the dotted line position shown in Figure 3.

A key operated lock 62 is mounted in the outer end of the cylinder 36 and includes a latch bolt 63 adapted to be received in a keeper socket 64 formed in the guide cylinder 2| as shown in Figure 3, for locking the handle |3 in its retracted position within the recess I5.

With the parts in the full line position shown in Figure 3, with the exception of the lock bolt 53 that is normally retracted into thelock casing 62, and it being desired to project the outer handle |3 from the interior of the automobile, the operator by means of the button 58 moves the block 56 out of the recess 59 and through the slot 51 in the handle M to position the block 56 in the forward recess 60, this movement causing the end 6| of the arm 55 to disengage the catch 50 from the stop 5| whereupon the spring 32 engaging the inner end 3| of the cylinder 30 automatically projects the cylinder 30 carrying the handle |3 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3. The main door latch bolt |2 may be operated by the inner handle |4 through the medium of the lug 29 carried thereby engaged with the cam abutment 25 on the rotatable or cylindrical block 22, and said latch bolt |2 may be also operated by the outer handle |3 through its cylinder connection 30 with the key rib 38 on the tubular shaft 32 and the keyed connection 34 of the tubular shaft with the rotatable cylindrical block 32. The outer handle l3 may be retracted into its recess I5 by first displacing the end 6| of the arm 55 relative to the catch 50 by positioning the block 56 at one end of the arm 55 in the recess 59 and thereafter moving the sleeve 46 over the inner tubular handle M to cause the headed end 4| of the rod 40 to move the cylinders 36 and 30 into the guide cylinder 2| and against the tension of the spring 32 until the catch 50 engages the stop 5|. The outer handle |3 may be locked in its recess l5 by projecting the latch bolt 53 of the lock casing 62 into the keeper socket 64 in the guide cylinder 2|.

From the above detailed description of the invention, it is believed that the construction and operation thereof will at once be apparent, and while there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:- I

1. Latch mechanism for doors, including a latch bolt carried by a door, a handle at each side of the door for operating the latch bolt, the handle at the outer side of the door being movable into a recess in the door to be rendered inaccessible, means carried by the handle at the inner side of the door for controlling the position of the handle at the outer side and for retracting the handle at the outer side of the door into said recess, the inner handle being of tubular formation, the outer handle being normally spring pressed outwardly, a tensioned catch slidable in the tubular handle and operatively connected with the outer handle, a stop on the tubular handle for the catch and a manually operable slide in the tubular handle for releasing the catch for automatic projection of the outer handle.

2. Latch mechanism for doors, including a latch bolt carried by a door, a handle at each side of the door for operating the latch bolt, the handle at the outer side of the door being movable into a recess in the door to be rendered inaccessible, means carried by the handle at the inner side of the door for controlling the position of the handle at the outer side and for retracting the handle at the outer side of the door into said recess, the inner handle being of tubular formation, the outer handle being normally spring pressed outwardly, a tensioned catch slidable in the tubular handle and operatively connected With the outer handle, a stop on the tubular handle for the catch and a manually operable slide in the tubular handle for releasing the catch for automatic projection of the outer handle, means for holding the slide at its limit of movebolt carried by a door, a handle at each side of the door for operating the latch bolt, the handle at the outer side of the door being movable into a recess in the door to be rendered inaccessible, means carried by the handle at the inner side of the door for controlling the position of the handle at the outer side and for retracting the handle at the outer side of the door into said recess, the inner handle being of tubular formation, the outer handle being normally spring pressed outwardly, a tensioned catch slidable in the tubular handle and operatively connected with the outer handle, stop on the tubular handle for the catch and a manually operable slide in the tubular handle for releasing the catch for automatic projection of the outer handle, means for holding the slide at its limit of movements in opposite directions, the connection between the catch and outer handle including a flexible element and a spring associated with the catch for maintaining the flexible element in a taut condition, a cylinder carrying the outer handle and a key operated lock carried by the cylinder and including a lock bolt and a keeper in the door for the lock bolt.

JAMES SUMMERS. 

